An online synchronized content management system, such as Dropbox™ from Dropbox Inc. of San Francisco, Calif., allows its users to store and synchronize data on a cloud-based storage and across multiple client devices. Thus, a user may upload a personal folder to the content management system, and then share the folder on multiple user devices by having duplicate copies of the folder on each of the devices. The instances of the shared folder, though may be residing on different devices, can be kept synchronized. In other words, through the process of synchronization, the contents of the shared folder on the server and the multiple client devices can be kept identical. Even the slightest modification made by the user to one of the instances of the folder can automatically be replicated in other instances of the folder in a matter of seconds.
Contents stored in an online content management system can be accessed using either a native client application or a web interface. For example, a user may be able to access files stored in an online content management system using both a client application provided by the service that is installed on the user's device and through a web browser. A user of the web browser can use the web browser to surf the Internet. During or after surfing, the user can decide to use the web browser to access one or more of her content items (e.g., files) stored at the online content management system. Since the browser is already open and in use, the user may find it more convenient to use the browser to access the online data than it would be to switch to a dedicated content navigation application, such as Windows Explorer® on Windows® operating systems or Finder® on Mac® operating systems, to access local data, which is kept synchronized with the remote data in the online content management system. Moreover, the user experience associated with accessing online data using the web browser can vary depending on the speed and/or reliability of the network connection (e.g., Internet speed and/or availability).